Updated | Pro-rector says democracy committee won’t sideline anyone in debate

The University of Malta’s pro-rector Carmen Sammut has defending a new committee set up by parliamentary secretary Julia Farrugia Portelli, as an internal technical group of experts that will consult the government.

 The Opposition has claimed that no members that the ‘committee for the strengthening of democracy’ had been created without consultation with the PN.

But the government said the committee was an internal one that was set up to implement Labour’s electoral mandate on proposals leading to an improved gender balance in politics.

Prof. Sammut is chairing the committee, which includes as members the MCWO president Lorrain Spiteri, academic Dr Josianne Cutajar, equality commissioner Renee Laiviera, women’s rights activist and lawyer Lara Dimitrijevic, as well as Prof. Frank Bezzina, Dr Jonathan Attard, and architect Robert Musumeci.

The committee, announced on the government gazette for transparency, is an internal technical group within Farrugia Portelli’s secretariat, composed of individuals with expertise in gender issues, law, have a sound familiarity with the STV electoral system and related statistics,” Prof. Sammut said on Facebook.

“The aim of the committee is to explore legal and technical aspects, look at  case studies and relevant literature prior to a consultation process with all stakeholders on reforms that will address the deficit that exists when it comes to female participation in Malta’s representative democracy.”

Prof. Sammut said that all political parties, NGOs and academics would be part of a process to be triggered at a later stage.

“Nobody will be side-lined and the public consultation process will be wide and extensive. 

“I strongly believe that people cannot defined by one aspect of their life history – in my case my whole life achievements, including academic credentials, were dismissed by the Opposition spokesperson, who merely emphasized the fact that in the past I had the opportunity to chair a political think tank,” Prof. Sammut said.

“The members of the committee have adequate credentials to contribute at this stage of the process and they are committed to the reform, for which the current administration has a very clear electoral mandate.”

The government said that the committee will kick-start proposals to strengthen democratic representation, and invites the Opposition, civil society and the relevant stakeholders to contribute to the debate.

The government was reacting to a statement yesterday by the Nationalist Party, which said the committee was formed without publishing its terms of reference and a timeline for the work it had to do.

“The persons appointed to this committee include persons of trust in the Office of the Prime Minister, Labour Party candidates, and other consultants and persons close to Labour,” the PN said, requesting that the committee be suspended and replaced by a consultation process with the Opposition and civil society.